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Functional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in Analysis, Sensing, and Catalysis

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 9216

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wenbo Lu

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Guest Editor

Key Laboratory of Magnetic Molecules and Magnetic Information Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Chemistry and Material Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China
Interests: synthesis of functional nanomaterials and their application in electrochemical sensors and biosensors, immunosensors, electrocatalysis, and energy conversion

Dr. Xiaowei Cao

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Guest Editor

Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, China
Interests: development and application of new detection technologies (surface-enhanced Raman scattering, fluorescence, electrochemical etc.) in the fields of food safety, clinical diagnosis, and environmental monitoring

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past few decades, nanotechnology has emerged as an extraordinary and rapidly developing discipline of science, providing diverse applications in different fields. At present, the formation mechanisms, properties and applications of functional nanomaterials have been greatly discussed and summarized to provide significant insights into the design or modification of functionalized nanomaterials. Along with the advancement of nanoscience, plenty of advanced functional nanomaterials have demonstrated a wide application potential, such as in analysis, sensors, theranostics, biomedicine, energy conversion, energy storage, environmental remediation, photocatalysis and electrocatalysis.

Recently, researchers have committed their efforts to studying the size, morphology, and electronic structure of functional nanomaterials. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted great interest due to their diverse compositions and ordered structures. Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have also been known as a novel class of multifunctional material because of their superior metallic properties, good thermal stability and excellent electrical conductivity. Single-atom catalysts (SACs), due to their efficient catalytic activity, maximum atomic utilization, and well-defined active sites, have emerged as an energetic frontier in heterogeneous catalysis. Based on the comprehensive research, the development of functional nonomaterials will be continue to improve and their applications will become more and more extensive.

Dr. Wenbo Lu
Dr. Xiaowei Cao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

functional nanomaterials
material design
catalyst
sensor
diagnosis
photoelectrochemistry
energy storage

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Facile Synthesis of P-Doped ZnIn₂S₄ with Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

by Xiangrui Feng, Hongji Chen, Hongfei Yin, Chunyu Yuan, Huijun Lv, Qian Fei, Yujin Zhang, Qiuyu Zhao, Mengmeng Zheng and Yongzheng Zhang

Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4520; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28114520 - 02 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1379

Abstract

ZnIn₂S₄ (ZIS) is widely used in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen production due to its unique photoelectric properties. Nonetheless, the photocatalytic performance of ZIS usually faces problems of poor conductivity and rapid recombination of charge carriers. Heteroatom doping is often regarded as one of the effective strategies for improving the catalytic activity of photocatalysts. Herein, phosphorus (P)-doped ZIS was prepared by hydrothermal method, whose photocatalytic hydrogen production performance and energy band structure were fully studied. The band gap of P-doped ZIS is about 2.51 eV, which is slightly smaller than that of pure ZIS. Moreover, due to the upward shift of its energy band, the reduction ability of P-doped ZIS is enhanced, and P-doped ZIS also exhibits stronger catalytic activity than pure ZIS. The optimized P-doped ZIS exhibits a hydrogen production rate of 1566.6 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, which is 3.8 times that of the pristine ZIS (411.1 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹). This work provides a broad platform for the design and synthesis of phosphorus-doped sulfide-based photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in Analysis, Sensing, and Catalysis)

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14 pages, 6499 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Application of Thymol Electrochemical Sensor Based on the PtNPs-CPOFs-MWCNTs Composite

by Na Li, Hongyue Zhang, Min Cui, Jujie Ren, Jingru Huang, Bao Sun, Haiyan Zhao and Cong Zhang

Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3398; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28083398 - 12 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1357

Abstract

In this study, the preparation of covalent polyoxometalate organic frameworks (CPOFs) is introduced using the idea of polyoxometalate and covalent organic frameworks. Firstly, the prepared polyoxometalate was functionalized with an amine group (NH₂-POM-NH₂), and then the CPOFs were prepared by a solvothermal Schiff base reaction with NH₂-POM-NH₂ and 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzene-1,3,5-tricarbaldehyde (Tp) as monomers. After the incorporation of PtNPs and MWCNTs into the CPOFs material, the PtNPs-CPOFs-MWCNTs nanocomposites, which possess excellent catalytic activity and electrical conductivity, were formed and utilized as new electrode materials for the electrochemical thymol sensors. The obtained PtNPs-CPOFs-MWCNTs composite exhibits excellent activity toward thymol, which is attributable to its large special surface area, good conductivity and the synergistic catalysis of each component. Under optimal experimental conditions, the sensor presented a good electrochemical response to thymol. The sensor shows two good linear relationships between the current and thymol concentration in the range of 2–65 μM (R² = 0.996) and 65–810 μM (R² = 0.997), with the corresponding sensitivity of 72.7 μA mM⁻¹ and 30.5 μA mM⁻¹, respectively. Additionally, the limit of detection (LOD) was calculated to be 0.2 μM (S/N = 3). At the same time, the prepared thymol electrochemical sensor revealed superior stability and selectivity. The constructed PtNPs-CPOFs-MWCNT electrochemical sensor is the first example of thymol detection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in Analysis, Sensing, and Catalysis)

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Review

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16 pages, 3423 KiB

Open AccessReview

Progress in the Mechanism of the Effect of Fe₃O₄ Nanomaterials on Ferroptosis in Tumor Cells

by Yaxuan Wang, Xiao Wu, Xiaoying Bao and Xianbo Mou

Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4562; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28114562 - 05 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1781

Abstract

Ferroptosis is a new form of iron-dependent programmed cell death discovered in recent years, which is caused by the accumulation of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Recent studies have shown that cellular ferroptosis is closely related to tumor progression, and the induction of ferroptosis is a new means to inhibit tumor growth. Biocompatible Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄-NPs), rich in Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺, act as a supplier of iron ions, which not only promote ROS production but also participate in iron metabolism, thus affecting cellular ferroptosis. In addition, Fe₃O₄-NPs combine with other techniques such as photodynamic therapy (PDT); heat stress and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) can further induce cellular ferroptosis effects, which then enhance the antitumor effects. In this paper, we present the research progress and the mechanism of Fe₃O₄-NPs to induce ferroptosis in tumor cells from the perspective of related genes and chemotherapeutic drugs, as well as PDT, heat stress, and SDT techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in Analysis, Sensing, and Catalysis)

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21 pages, 22023 KiB

Open AccessReview

Cortisol Monitoring Devices toward Implementation for Clinically Relevant Biosensing In Vivo

by Pavel A. Kusov, Yuri V. Kotelevtsev and Vladimir P. Drachev

Molecules 2023, 28(5), 2353; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28052353 - 03 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4198

Abstract

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that regulates energy metabolism, stress reactions, and immune response. Cortisol is produced in the kidneys’ adrenal cortex. Its levels in the circulatory system are regulated by the neuroendocrine system with a negative feedback loop of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA-axis) following circadian rhythm. Conditions associated with HPA-axis disruption cause deteriorative effects on human life quality in numerous ways. Psychiatric, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders as well as a variety of inflammatory processes accompanying age-related, orphan, and many other conditions are associated with altered cortisol secretion rates and inadequate responses. Laboratory measurements of cortisol are well-developed and based mainly on the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). There is a great demand for a continuous real-time cortisol sensor that is yet to be developed. Recent advances in approaches that will eventually culminate in such sensors have been summarized in several reviews. This review compares different platforms for direct cortisol measurements in biological fluids. The ways to achieve continuous cortisol measurements are discussed. A cortisol monitoring device will be essential for personified pharmacological correction of the HPA-axis toward normal cortisol levels through a 24-h cycle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials and Their Applications in Analysis, Sensing, and Catalysis)

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